Vivian Vachon
Encyclopedia
Vivian Vachon was a female professional wrestler. She was the sister of wrestlers Maurice
and Paul Vachon
. She was also the aunt of wrestler Luna Vachon
. She is considered one of the best female wrestlers of the 1970s.
, grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer who later retired and settled on a farm. Vivian started wrestling at a young age, and at the age of 16 she went to The Fabulous Moolah
's school to train. While she was there she ended up dating one of Moolah's nephews.
and Paul
, who were both champion professional wrestlers. She adopted the ring name "Vivian Vachon" (or "Viviane Vachon").
In February 1971, she became the California Women's Champion. She became the American Wrestling Association
's (AWA) Women's Champion for a time, defeating Bette Boucher on November 4, 1971. In the early 1970s she starred in the motion picture the Wrestling Queen, which also included her brothers and other wrestlers. She came back to wrestle in the 1980s for Mad Dog's farewell tour and a tour of Japan. In 2006, she was honored posthumously by the Cauliflower Alley Club
.
, which were hits in Canada
.
In 1978, she married wrestler Buddy Wolfe
, but due to the stress of their careers the relationship failed. In November 1979, she married Canadian career soldier Gary Carnegie and they had two children: Ian (born February 5, 1980) and Julie Lynn (born 1982). They lived in CFB Petawawa Ontario. Vivian and Gary were married for seven years and after five years, they divorced in 1991. Vivian and their nine-year-old daughter Julie were killed by a drunk driver 50k's south from Montreal on August 25, 1991. Ian is part of the Ottawa High Hookers arm wrestling club and was also in the Canadian army. After Gary and Vivian's divorce, she lived in London, Ontario. Vivian and Julie are buried in a small town called Mansonville near the Newport, Vermont
border.
Maurice Vachon
Maurice Vachon is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon...
and Paul Vachon
Paul Vachon
Paul "Butcher" Vachon is a former professional wrestler. He is a member of the Vachon wrestling family.-Professional wrestling career:Paul Vachon grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer...
. She was also the aunt of wrestler Luna Vachon
Gertrude Vachon
Gertrude Vachon was a Canadian-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Luna Vachon.-Training:...
. She is considered one of the best female wrestlers of the 1970s.
Early life
Viviane Vachon, born in 1944 in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer who later retired and settled on a farm. Vivian started wrestling at a young age, and at the age of 16 she went to The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
's school to train. While she was there she ended up dating one of Moolah's nephews.
Professional wrestling career
She began her career in wrestling in the late 1960s while still a teenager, training with her brothers MauriceMaurice Vachon
Maurice Vachon is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon...
and Paul
Paul Vachon
Paul "Butcher" Vachon is a former professional wrestler. He is a member of the Vachon wrestling family.-Professional wrestling career:Paul Vachon grew up as one of thirteen children of Ferdinand Vachon, a Montreal police officer...
, who were both champion professional wrestlers. She adopted the ring name "Vivian Vachon" (or "Viviane Vachon").
In February 1971, she became the California Women's Champion. She became the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
's (AWA) Women's Champion for a time, defeating Bette Boucher on November 4, 1971. In the early 1970s she starred in the motion picture the Wrestling Queen, which also included her brothers and other wrestlers. She came back to wrestle in the 1980s for Mad Dog's farewell tour and a tour of Japan. In 2006, she was honored posthumously by the Cauliflower Alley Club
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
.
Personal life
Vachon also put out a couple of singles in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, which were hits in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In 1978, she married wrestler Buddy Wolfe
Buddy Wolfe
Les Wolff is a retired American football player and professional wrestler, known by his ring name "Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the...
, but due to the stress of their careers the relationship failed. In November 1979, she married Canadian career soldier Gary Carnegie and they had two children: Ian (born February 5, 1980) and Julie Lynn (born 1982). They lived in CFB Petawawa Ontario. Vivian and Gary were married for seven years and after five years, they divorced in 1991. Vivian and their nine-year-old daughter Julie were killed by a drunk driver 50k's south from Montreal on August 25, 1991. Ian is part of the Ottawa High Hookers arm wrestling club and was also in the Canadian army. After Gary and Vivian's divorce, she lived in London, Ontario. Vivian and Julie are buried in a small town called Mansonville near the Newport, Vermont
Newport (city), Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
border.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Women's ChampionshipAWA World Women's ChampionshipThe AWA World Women's Championship was the female title in the American Wrestling Association from 1961 until 1990.-Title history:Silver-shaded lines in the history indicate periods of unknown lineage.-See also:*American Wrestling Association...
(1 time)
- AWA World Women's Championship
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Posthumous Award (2006) with Bobby Shane
- Other titles
- GPW Women's Championship
- California Women's Championship